The Best and the Worst from Oklahoma State’s Win at Boise State

The Cowboys left Boise, Idaho with a win. That’s the most important thing.

But now that we’re past that, let’s dive into the good, bad and ugly from Saturday night. Here are the best and worst from OSU’s 21-10 win over Boise State.

Best Play: Jaylen Warren’s House Call

Could there be any other?

Fun fact: Warren’s no stranger to Boise. Last year when Utah State visited Boise, he toted the rock 23 times for 89 yards and two scores. On Saturday he carried it 32 times for 218 yards and two more. Maybe he just likes blue.

During fall camp, Mike Gundy boasted that he had four tailbacks to whom he could somewhat equally spread the ball. In the first two games he did so and OSU’s running game was anemic at best. On Saturday night, he fed the back with the hot hand and OSU suddenly scarfed down 246 yards of blue turf at 4.3 yards per bite.

Now that might be an oversimplification (it most certainly is) but there’s little doubt that Jaylen Warren has the goods to carry an offense. Let’s just hope he isn’t asked to do so every week.

Worst Display: OSU’s Passing Game

I’ve accepted the fact that Oklahoma State is not the team, right now, to sling it around for 450 and four TDs per outing. The Cowboys are slim and green (no pun intended) at wideout and Spencer Sanders, for myriad reasons, has not turned out to be the type of QB that will regularly do that.

But 87 yards. Eighty. Seven.

That’s the lowest passing output by a Cowboy offense sense Bedlam in 2009 when a banged-up Zac Robinson managed just 44 yards through the air on 9-of-21 passing. Spencer Sanders’ 6-of-13 amounted to the lowest number of completions by a Cowboy QB since 2008.

Best Use of His Reps: Jason Taylor II

The OKC native earned the start with Tre Sterling’s injury and made the most of it, again.

Last week it was a pick-6 that was called back due to penalty. This week it was a game-saving field goal block.

Taylor also added four total tackles and a QB hurry. Expect Taylor to get even more opportunities after Mike Gundy announced that Tre Sterling was done for the season.

Worst Luck: Boise State

This makes consecutive weeks in which highlighted “Worst Luck” for a Cowboy opponent. It’s not great for OSU other than the fact that the Cowboys are 3-0. Let’s hope they can keep it up.

Aforementioned hero Jaylen Warren’s career game almost ended in disaster. Late in the fourth quarter with his team up just 1 and with less than five minutes remaining, Warren took a handoff on a critical third-and-5. He churned his feet to gain two tough yards before the football was dislodged from his bread basket, scooped up and scored by a Boise defender.

Fortunately for Warren and OSU, the play was called dead by the on-field official in real time. In actuality, it was a fumble.

After review, the possession was awarded to the home team, but since it was initially called dead, the Broncos didn’t get the score. Boise made it just 22 yards in six plays and attempted a would-be game-winning field goal from 36 yards which was blocked.

This sums it up.

Best Debut: Cale Cabbiness’ Game-Sealing Catch

The Cowboys finished with their lowest passing output in a dozen years, but when the game was on the line they went to a walk-on receiver who’d never caught a pass in college.

Worst Warmup: This Noncon

The first three weeks are supposed to include at least a couple of stepping stones, but the Cowboys are fortunate just to be unbeaten. OSU reached the big 3-0 without ever reaching the big 3-0. A program that has made its dough by filling up the scoreboard is averaging just 24 points per game entering Big 12 play with its 28 points against Tulsa last week as a season high so far.